Clockwork Zoo

Clockwork Zoo
Type Private
Industry Animation
Live action
Founded 2008 (2008)
Headquarters Cape Town, South Africa
Products Television shows

Clockwork Zoo, (formerly Octagon CSI) is the world's largest animation studio in South Africa.[1][2]

After creating the local action-adventure teen show Urbo: The Adventures of Pax Afrika, the company produced the animation for several international television series, including the fifth season of Caillou co-produced with the Cookie Jar Group,[3] Monsieur Bébé for Xilam, and the Playhouse Disney series Florrie's Dragons, co-produced by Wish Films.[4]

Contents

History

2005-2009: Early Career

Clockwork Zoo is Africa’s largest animation studio and home to several of South Africa’s most prolific storytellers and content creators. Starting in 2005 with URBO: The Adventures of Pax Afrika, the young animation division quickly grew to 30 people, producing 104 half hour episodes. After a move from local to more international work and a change from Flash to Toon Boom as preferred medium, the studio worked on Mr Bebe (Xilam, France), Happy Valley (Dinamo, Wales) and storyboards for Wibbly Pig (Wish Films, UK).

In 2009, Clockwork Zoo co-produced 26 season 5 half hour episodes of Caillou with Cookie Jar (Canada) significantly raising the bar on previous seasons. The Caillou franchise has sold in every continent and made $40 million in sales so far.

2010-present: Later Career

In 2010, the company co-produced Florries Dragons with Wish Films (UK) for initial broadcast on the Disney Channel UK. The 52 x 10min series about a princess and her 6 pet dragons has gained a great deal of attention and Playhouse Disney were “thrilled” with the result. Clockwork Zoo provided development, design, script, storyboard, build, background, animatics, layout, animation and HD video post on Florries Dragons.

Awards

The company won the prestigious 2010 Cape Film Commission Imbongi trophies in both Training & Development and Animation.

References

  1. ^ "Don't feed the animators". Lauren Beukes (Design Indaba Magazine). February 1, 2008. http://www.designindaba.com/article/dont-feed-animators. Retrieved October 25, 2010. 
  2. ^ "26 episode Canadian-South African animation co-production gets the go-ahead". Filmmaker South Africa (Balancing Act). March 19, 2009. http://www.balancingact-africa.com/news/broadcast/issue-no50/content/26-episode-canadian-south-african-animation-co-production-gets-the. Retrieved October 25, 2010. 
  3. ^ "Clockwork Zoo begins key animation on Caillou". AnimationSA (AnimationSA). August 25, 2009. http://www.animationsa.org/community/press-releases/clockwork-zoo/clockwork-zoo-begins-key-animation-caillou. Retrieved August 25, 2009. 
  4. ^ "Clockwork Zoo begins key animation on Florrie's Dragons". Screen Africa (Screen Africa). March 10, 2010. http://www.screenafrica.com/news/television/437624.htm. Retrieved March 10, 2010. 

External links